Braiding-machine



A. LITTLEFIELD.

BRAIDING MACHINE. APPLICATIN FILED 1AN.15, 1920.

1,389,672'. Patentedsept. 6,1921.

L Inl/mim 1 ,I' 5 /4 /0 Hy yUNITED sfrAT-.lezs'PAri.-:1\Vrv OFFICE.

ARLON LITTLEFIELD, OF CRANSTON, RHODE ISLAND,

ASSIGNOR TO NEW ENGLAND BUTT COMPANY. F APROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ACORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

.'BRAIDING-MACHINE.

Patented Sept. 6, 1921.

Application filed January 15, 1920. Serial 170.351,62

o all whom t may concern.' l Be it known that I, ARLON LITTLEFIELD, acitizen ofthe United States, and resident of the cityof Cranston, Ainthe county of Providence and 'State of Rhode Island, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements Viii Biaiding-Machines, of which thefollowingis a specification.

VThis invention relates to improvements in the construction of braidingmachines; and has for its object to provide an improved braiding-machineframe whichis composed of a plurality of standards mounted on the,bodyportion of the machine on which standards is removably andadjustably mounted one or more cross bars arranged to support a portionof the operating mechanism of the y machine in such a way that thelmechanism is readily removable and the parts thereof interchangeable.

V"'*With these and other objects in view, the

invention consists of certain novel features ofconstruction, as will bemore fully described, and particularly pointed out in the x appendedclaims.

.l In Vthe accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective viewf illustrating my improved `framev asmounted on the body of a braiding machine, said frame car- A'rying onestyle of head and its cooperating mechanism. l

illustrating. a modified form ofthe frameework of the machine with someof its interchangeable parts. Fig. 3fis a side elevation illustrating astyle of head dilferent'fromtliat shown inV VFig. l,.but equally wellsupported by the same adjustable frame members of the machine.

i `F ig. 4- isa side elevation showing the arrangement of the bearingmembers onl one .ofthe sidefstandards for supporting the 'up-l righttake-'up drive'shaft and its operating mechanism, also showing a bearingfor a second parallel cross-bar. 'In practice many different styles of'takeup and take-off heads and their component or cooperating parts areemployed in braid! ing machines having otherwise the same general designandarrangement ofmechanism in their body portions. In ordering a machineof a giventyp'e some users require heads and parts of one style for theproducf tion of a certain class of work, while others require a head andparts of another style of t0 the take-up or take-ofi mechanism and itscooperating parts to produce certainV other classes of work, andtherefore, it is found to be of great advantage to be able to make all of the parts interchangeable so that any particular style or typeoftake-up or take-ofi3 head mechanism and its coperating parts may bepositioned on the frame without being obliged to make specialarrangements or a special construction to accommodate the particularstyle desired. In other words, the parts of the frame and the operatingmechanism carried by the frame are so constructed as to render themechanism readily detachable and interchangeable. v

The following is a detailed description of one form of mechanism bywhich I am enabled to accomplish the desired results With reference tothe drawing, 10 designates onevofthe plates of the body portion of abraiding machine, which is supported on the lusual legs l1. On this bodyportion is mounted a simple, inexpensive and practical form of framewhich is adapted to support the upper operating mechanism ofthe machinesuch as the take-up and takeoff heads and other parts which are employedinthe controlling of the braid after it has been formed, or any othermechanism which may be mounted there. To accomplish this` vin a simpleand practical way, I have pro- `vided two side standards 12, preferably'of between the side standards, which is secured y plate 10 by'a nut 16.On the upper end of each of these standards I have mounted removablebearing members 17, 18 and 19 respectively, which are adjustably andremovably secured in position by means of a set screw 20, 2l and22'respectively. These bearing members may be of any desired form toaccommodate the different combinations of mechanisms adapted to bemounted on the frame. One purpose being to removably and adjustablysupport the main cross-bar 27 which is, like the standards, preferablyformed of a finished rod and which is bound in these bearings 17'A and19 by set screws 28 and 29 respectively.

In addition tosupporting the cross bar 27 vchanged over right shaft 51.

42. These delivery rolls In constructing the take-up heads to it ontothis frame, as illustratedv in Fig. 1, I preferably provide the'head32'with a body portion 33 bored to receive the cross bar 27 which passestherethrough, its rear end 34 being also bored transversely to receivethe rear brace-bar 35, the rearend 36 of which bar is adjustably mountedin the bearing4 18 and secured by set screw 37, whereby this head issecurely held in position on the main frame and yet is readily removableand interchangeable with otherstyles of headsand parts. This head frameor body is provided withv a pair of forwardly extending arms 38 in whichis mounted the usual take-up rolls 39V aroundwhich is passed the braidedcord 40 from whence it is led across to the deand down through the chutebeing supported on an upright arm 43 which vis adjustably mounted at 44on the rear standard 15.

f In some -cases instead otemploying the style of heademployed inFig. 1,I employ livery rolls 41 that illustrated in Fig. 3, inl which thetake-r y up roll 45 is adjustably mounted on the arm other.

46in the head 47 to regulate its bite against the roll 48.k vThis head,lilze that illustrated in Fig. 1, is mainly supported on the main xcross bar 27 and is also provided with a socket portion 49 adapted toreceive theV rear brace-bar'35 in the head 18.

As all of these parts are formed interchangeable one head may be asreadily po i sitioned on the frame ,of the machine as an- By my improvedconstruction when the take-up parts are formed interchangeable, theAbody of the machine `may-'be readily to receive'any desired style ofhead; that is, after operating for agiven length of time with one set o'head parts it may be readily changed'over and operatedy with any otherstyle. of head parts, without disturbing oraltering the main or bodyportion of the machine.

My improved mechanism greatly simplifies and lessens the costeiconstruction of the different styles of machines as all of the 4partsare rendered removable and interchangeableand any style of take-up ortakeoff head or mechanism may be applied thereto.

In some cases suoli asin the construction of light braiding machines Imay omit the rear standard/15 Vand brace-bar 3.5 if desired and insteadmounta second crossbar 5.3 in the superposed bearings 54 in uprights12lwhich second bar may also be passed through a suitable second bearingor hole in the head iii-ame, as illustrated in dotted lines at 55 inprising two side standards, a mechanism supporting cross-bar removablymounted on said side standards, a rear standard on the body portion ofthe machine and positioned between said side standards, and meanswhereby said rear standard is caused toV cooperate with said cross-barfor adjustably l supporting said mechanism. t p Y 2. In a braidingmachine, a body portion including the braiding and twisting elements, alframe supported on said body., comprising two side standards, a`mechanism supporting cross-bar removably mounted on said side standardsand connecting the same, arear standard on the body Vportion `of themachine and positioned between saidY side standards, and a brace-barremovably mounted on said rear -standard arranged to copico erate withsaid cross-bar for operatively supporting said mechanism, said cross-barand rear standard being adapted to removably and adjustably supporttakeup and take-'oli mechanisms,respectively, in coperative relation. YI Y v V3. In a braiding machine,` aV body portion Vincludingthebraidingand twisting .ele-

ments, a frame supported'on said body, comprising two side standards, across-bar removably lmounted onbearings on said standard' andvconnecting the same,va .take- Yiio up head frame provided with a holethrough l which saidcros's-baris adapted topass to support the same',means for, binding said` head i'rainein adjusted position l to saidcross-bar, and a rear standard on thebody of the machine between saidside standards A and coperatingin the support of said head traine. A f I4. In a braiding machine, a body portion including the braidingV andYtwisting -ele'- .ments, .a 'frame supported on said body,

comprising two side standards, a crossbar removably mounted on .saidstandards and connecting the saine, a take-up head frame provided withaliole therein through which said cross-bar is adapted to pass tosupport the same, means for binding said head frame to said cross-bar, arear standard on the body portion of the machine and positioned betweensaid side standards, a brace-bar removably mounted on said rear'standard' and engaging with said head frame to coperate in thesupporting of said head frame.

5. An attachment for braiding machines comprising a frame including apair of side standards one to be positioned on each side of the machine,a cross-bar removably mounted in said bearings on the upper end of saidstandards to over-lie the braid mechanism, said cross-bar being adaptedto have a take-up mechanism mounted thereon, and another standard to bepositioned on the rear ofthe machine between said side standards and tocoperate with said cross-bar for supporting the mechanismmountedthereon, said rear standard being adapted to removably support atake-off mechanism to coperate with said take-up mechanism.

6. An attachment for braiding machines comprising a frame including apair of side standards having removable and adjustable `beariiig membersthereon, a cross-bar. re-V movably mounted Vin said bearings, saidstandards being adapted to be positioned one on each side of the machinewhereby the cross-bar will oveilie the bearing mechanism of the machine,a head frame removably mounted on the cross-bar, another standard to bepositioned on the rear of the machine between said side standards andhaving a removable bearing member mounted on the upper end thereof, anda substantially horizontal brace-arm removably connecting said lastmentioned bearing member and said head frame, for supporting the latterin position.

7. An attachment Jfor braiding machines comprising a frame including apair of side standards having removable and adjustable bearing membersthereon, a cross-bar removably mounted in said bearings. said standardsbeing adapted to be positioned one on each side of the machine wherebythe cross-bar will overlie the bearing mechanism of thev machine, a headframe removably mounted on the cross-bar, another standard to bepositioned on the rear of the machine between said side standards andhaving a removable bearing member mounted on the 'upper end thereof, anda substantially horizontal brace-arm removably connecting said lastmentioned bearing member and said head frame, for supporting the latterin position, the bearing on one of said side standards having a bracketextending therefrom, operating a gearing supported on said bracket andhaving connection with the operating mechanism in said head frame.

lIn testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

ARLON LITTLEFIELD.

